Military Chat

"I recall an elderly relative telling me many years ago that he was an officer's assistant"
His was the Officers's orderly or (later after WW1) his batman.
Do you knew the name of the Officer?


Regarding James' Snr posting.
Middlesex Regt

National Army Museum website
The regiment's four regular battalions all served on the Western Front. The 3rd Battalion also deployed to Salonika in 1915. The regiment also raised 16 Territorial, 18 New Army and four works battalions

https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/middlesex-regiment-duke-cambridges-own

You would need to know in which Battalion he was serving in order to correctly identify that specific Battalion's location during the War.

ok thank you. I am not quite sure if this something I can find out but I am going to try by searching through record for middlesex - its all a bit beyond me to be honest as I feel like I have so little to go on but thank you so much for everything you have posted

You are very welcome. I have sent you 2 messages, which may be of interest to you.

hi again
thank you for all your help so far
I think I may have found something
I found a record for the ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS - and all 3 of my ancestors were listed one after the other on the same record!
surely this has to be them?
PRIVATE HENRY MADDEN 14984
PRIVATE JAMES MADDEN 31781
PRIVATE JAMES MADDEN 29001
I would guess they signed up together? the record was dated 1918

i am not sure where I can go now with this info so if anyone is happy to point me in the right direction so I can obtain anything further that would be so appreciated by me
thanks in anticipation x

None of those Service numbers is the same as that on the record to which Jink refers on page one. Also, that man was in the Service Corps, not the Veterinary Corps…and he enlisted in 1915!!!

The names, I’m sorry, are very common, so may be entirely unconnected to each other.

Also - without seeing the list, and other names before and after those three -
perhaps the list is just alphabetical ??

I am finding that some records for a serviceman have numerous service numbers - is this because they may have moved to a different regiment during the war perhaps?
for example there is a James Madden who I have come across in the WW! medal rolls index cards collection that has 3?

James Madden
Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment, Royal Fusiliers, London Regiment
267384, 68514, 699048

I thought soldiers only had one throughout their war service - is this not the case?

As Jink showed on page one there were NUMEROUS Maddens serving in WW1.

And,as has already been pointed out, around 70% of all WW1 records were destroyed during WW2

Re service numbers:

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/why-does-my-soldier-have-two-numbers-or-more/

thank you for the link ArgllGran - this explains a lot - It was really useful to help me understand why I was seeing numerous numbers,
all the best

I have sent OP a lengthy email outling service numbers, ORBATS and War Diaries including a shortcut to the National Archives website regarding 295 Coy RASC

Helpful to know that....................

thank you all again - especially Jink20 for being so very kind in helping me.

For those such as myself that are new to family research, you are a god send - this is all a learning curve so I appreciate your patience in supporting me as I try to navigate my way around here.

happy new year to you

The same to you :-) :-)